ABSTRACT
To determine the impact of initial antimicrobial choice on 30-day mortality rate in patients with community-acquired pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae (CAP-SP), a prospective, observational study was conducted in 35 Spanish hospitals. A total of 638 patients with CAP-SP were identified. Antimicrobials were chosen by the attending physician. Patients were grouped into the following categories: beta-lactam monotherapy (n = 251), macrolide monotherapy (n = 37), beta-lactam plus macrolide (n = 198), levofloxacin alone/combination (n = 48), and other combinations (n = 104). The reference category was beta-lactam+macrolide. The 30-day survival probability was 84.9%. Using multivariate survival analysis, factors related to mortality in the entire population were: bilateral disease, suspected aspiration, shock, HIV infection, renal failure and pneumonia severity index (PSI) score Class IV versus I-III and categories V versus I-III. The association of beta-lactams+macrolides was not better than the use of beta-lactams alone. The current authors analysed the different groups of patients with significant mortality/morbidity: intensive care unit, PSI Class >III, renal failure, chronic lung disease and bacteraemia. Only in patients with PSI Class >III, who had undergone initial antimicrobial choice classified as other combinations, were associated with higher mortality. In conclusion, the current authors have not demonstrated an independent association between initial antimicrobial regimen and 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia patients, except for those with a higher pneumonia severity index score.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Pneumonia, Pneumococcal/drug therapy , Pneumonia, Pneumococcal/mortality , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Survival RateABSTRACT
SETTING: Chest Clinic, Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona, Spain. OBJECTIVE: To assess the therapeutic response of pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium kansasii to 12 and 18 months of chemotherapy. DESIGN: 28 patients with criteria of pulmonary disease caused by M. kansasii not associated with HIV-infection were identified in our department in the period 1985-91 (24 male, 4 female, mean age 56 +/- 12 years). 14 patients were treated with rifampicin-isoniazid-ethambutol daily for 12 months (ethambutol only for the first 6 months), and 14 with the same regimen for 18 months. The follow-up after treatment was 12-30 months. RESULTS: All patients showed improvement of radiographic manifestation of disease and sputum conversion (mean time: 4.5 +/- 2 months). The adverse drug effects were minimal. No failures were detected, and only one patient (3.5%), in the group of 12-month chemotherapy, relapsed after finishing the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pulmonary disease due to M. kansasii has an effective response to 12-month chemotherapy regimen and that it is not necessary to prolong the administration of ethambutol for more than 6 months.
Subject(s)
Antitubercular Agents/administration & dosage , Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous/drug therapy , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Ethambutol/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Isoniazid/administration & dosage , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Rifampin/administration & dosage , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Sixty five patients with AIDS and clinical and/or radiological evidence of pulmonary infection underwent 78 bronchofibroscopies (BF) with protected brushing and bronchoalveolar washing-out. Out of the 78 BF, bacterial infection was diagnosed in 30 cases and associated opportunistic infection in 12 cases. The 18 cases of exclusively bacterial infection accounted for 23% of the total and most of them were due by H. influenzae and pneumococcus. Just in one patient, the thoracic radiography showed a localized infiltration. Given the high incidence of bacterial infections observed, along with the relevance of myxoid infections (opportunistic and pyogenic bacteria) and the low specificity of the thoracic radiography, bronchoalveolar washing-out and protected brushing in the same BF is a recommended practice.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/diagnosis , Bacterial Infections/diagnosis , HIV-1 , Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis , Pneumonia/diagnosis , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/complications , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Bacterial Infections/complications , Bacterial Infections/epidemiology , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/microbiology , Bronchoscopy , Female , Fiber Optic Technology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Opportunistic Infections/complications , Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology , Pneumonia/complications , Pneumonia/epidemiology , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
The clinical characteristics, radiologic findings, and therapeutic response in 35 cases of pulmonary disease induced by opportunistic environmental mycobacteria collected during a period of 4 years are reported. These cases included 21 infections by Mycobacterium kansasii, 10 by M. xenopi, and 4 by M. avium. The cases reported constituted the 6% of all mycobacterial infections of the lung observed in our institution. The mean age of the patients was 56 years and 83% of them were male. The presence of previous pulmonary involvement was rather frequent, specially the existence of chronic limitation of the air flow (CLAF) (91%) and previous tuberculosis (29%). The clinical symptoms were almost nonspecific and they could frequently be misinterpreted as an intercurrent infection in cases of CLAF. The radiologic findings could not be distinguished from an infection by M. tuberculosis. The clinical course with pharmacologic first line therapy (93% of cases) was satisfactory in 28 patients in whom follow-up controls are available.
